Transmissions - How They Work

The question of how do transmissions work comes up occasionally. The best explanation I've seen was in
an old Chevy Truck manual that I have. So, I scanned in some diagrams from the manual to help show
how they work. The diagrams are for an old three speed transmission, but the principles are the same.
You just add more gears, synchronizers, etc. Some transmissions are put together differently, for instance
my Honda has gears and synchronizer assemblies on both the output and countershafts, but again, the
principles are all the same. By the way, the transmission shown is similar to the construction or the
transmission in my Elan. Note that the transmission case, and the shifting forks are missing from the
diagrams. The shifting forks engage the groove in the synchronizer sleeves to move them forward or
backward. First, a
diagram of the gears and
synchronizers:

In the diagram above, the

input shaft is on the left
side - the one with third
gear on it. The left end of
the input shaft extends out
of the "front" of the
transmission case. The
clutch disk "rides" on the
splines on the left side, and
the end extends into the
pilot bearing in the end of
the engine's crankshaft.
The output shaft extends to
the right, and the end also
extends out the "back" of the transmission case. The drive shaft attaches to the output shaft. The input
shaft ends at the third gear in the diagram. The output shaft extends into a roller bearing in a "socket" in
the end of the input shaft. This allows the output shaft to rotate independently of the input shaft even
though they are in line. There is another shaft, the counter shaft, that runs through the counter gear.

The third gear is an integral part of the input shaft - machined out of one casting. The gears on the counter
gear are usually one piece also (in the example shown in the diagram, the countergear is a one piece
casting), although on some transmissions, the gears are independent but firmly attached to a splined shaft -
in either case, all the gears on the counter shaft rotate together at the same rate. The reverse idler gear
rides on it's own separate stub shaft and is used to reverse the rotation of the gears when shifted into
reverse. The rest of the gears freely rotate on the output shaft. Note that all gears are constantly engaged,
and whenever the input shaft rotates, all the gears also rotate. The synchronizers, however, are splined to
the output shaft, and rotate at the speed of the output shaft. Actually, that's what turns the output shaft. In
the case of the diagram shown above, if the engine was running, and the car was stopped, all of the gears
would be rotating, and the synchronizers and output shaft would be stationary.

To understand how the engagement of gears (shifting), you have to understand the synchronizers. This
synchronizer assembly is from a typical 4 speed transmission. I say that because this assembly has gear
teeth along its outer circumfrence. They are straight cut, and are not in constant mesh with its opposing
gear. Typically, the reverse idler gear is moved to a point where it engages the straight cut gear teeth on
both this synchronizer assembly and the similar teeth on the countergear assembly. These straight cut teeth
is why transmissions usually "whine" in reverse. Since the transmission pictured in the rest of the
diagrams is a 3 speed, the reverse gears are keept in constant mesh like the rest of the gears, and reverse is
selected using the synchronizer assembly and not a sliding idler gear. An exploded view of a gear, a
synchronizer ring, and a synchronizer assembly is shown below:
The synchronizer ring (#7) in the diagram is what is normally called a synchro ring - it's the part that
usually wears out. The
synchronizer sleeve of the
synchronizer (#1) slides
back and forth on the
synchronizer hub (#3),
which is the part that is
attached to the output shaft
by he barely visible splines
on the inner diameter. The
synchro ring (#7) "rides" on
the conical shaped part (#6)
of the gear (# 5). When you
shift into a gear, the
synchronizer sleeve (#1) is
moved toward the gear
(#5). As it moves, the small
teeth (#9) engage the teeth
(#4) on the synchro ring, which causes the synchro ring to rotate at the same rate as the synchronizer
assembly (#1 & #3) which are splined to each other as well as the output shaft. As synchronizer sleeve
(#1) continues to move toward the gear, the inside of the synchro ring (#7) is pressed up against the conical
shaped part of the gear. This causes the gear to match speed with the synchronizer, and once the speeds
are matched, the synchronizer sleeve continues to slide toward the gear, engaging the teeth on the side of
the gear.

The assembled synchronizer assembly:

The diagram shown below shows the operation of the synchronizer. The picture on the left is the position
of the synchronizer when the gear is not selected. The next picture shows the movement part way throught
the "shift". The synchro ring has been
engaged, and is pressing on the gear,
bringing the gear "up to speed", or in other
words, synchronizing the speeds of the
gear and the synchronizer assembly - why
did you think all this stuff had the word
synchronizer in it? Finally, the last picture
shows the gear engaged. Note that the
gear does not move to engage, the sleeve
portion of the synchronizer assembly does
the moving.
The diagram below shows the transmission in first gear. Note that the 1st-rev synchronizer (remember this
is only a 3 speed) has slid
forward to engage 1st gear. The
arrows show the route of the
power through the
transmission. Third gear turns
at engine speed, and drives the
countergear. The counter gear
drives first gear which is locked
to the output shaft via the
synchronizer. Second gear and
reverse gear (via the reverse
idler gear) are also driven by the
countergear, but they are free to
spin on the output shaft.

Same diagram show below, only

with second gear engaged. Note
the second-third gear
synchronizer has slid back to
engage second gear this time.
Third gear turns at engine speed,
and drives the countergear. The
counter gear drives second gear
which is locked to the output
shaft via the synchronizer. First
gear and reverse gear (via the
reverse idler gear) are also
driven by the countergear, but
they are free to spin on the
output shaft.

Third gear is shown below.

Note the position of the
synchronizers. The power is
not actually "passing through"
the gears, the synchronizer
assembly has locked the input
shaft to the output shaft,
causing both to move at the
same speed. Third gear still
turns at engine speed, and
drives the countergear. The
counter gear still drives first
gear, second gear and reverse
gear (via the reverse idler), but
they are free to spin on the
output shaft.
This set up of locking input and output shafts was common in 3 and 4 speed transmissions. Then along
came "over drive" 5 speeds. In those transmissions, fourth gear was still usually accomplished by locking
input and output shafts together, but fifth gear was an over drive - it just used another set of gears on the
countergear and output shaft, and another synchronizer assembly. The difference was that the gears ratios
caused the output shaft to be "over driven" - to be turned at a higher rate than the input shaft - therefore the
term overdrive transmission was used (my '96 Ranger pickup still uses an "OD" on the gear knob pattern
instead of a "5" to show fifth gear).

And finally, reverse. Note that the power now passes through the reverse idler gear to reverse the direction
of rotation. The counter gear
drives the reverse idler gear,
which drives the reverse gear
which is locked to the output
shaft via the synchronizer. First
gear and second gear are also
driven by the countergear, but
they are free to spin on the
output shaft. Again, this
transmission does not use
straight cut gears or a sliding
idler gear for reverse.

Shown below is a exploded view of the Lotus Elan 4 speed transmission. The top "row" shows the input
shaft on the left (with
bearings), and the output
shaft on the right (also
with bearings). Notice
the smaill roller bearing
that is placed between
them. The second row is
the gears, bearings, and
sychronizer assemblies
that go onto the output
shaft. Note that the gear
(third gear which is about
in the middle of the parts
(from the left, second
snap ring, sychro ring,
and then the gear) goes
onto the output shaft
from the left side (up to
the flange on the output shaft). The reset of the parts go onto the output shaft from the right. Note that in
this transmission, the first-second sychronizer assembly (the part to the right of the third snap ring from the
left) also acts as the reverse gear (like in the diagrams above showing the sychronizer functions). The third
"row" is the countergear parts, and the fourth "row" is the reverse idler. In this transmission, the reverse
idler is moved into position to engage the straight cut gears on the countergear, and the first-second
sychronizer.
An exploded view of the Elan's transmission is show below. Note the shift forks on the left, between the
case and the cover. They attach to the shift rods (next to the forks in the picture, and stick out the back of
the transmission case. The other casing shown (the tail housing) bolts to the back of the transmission. The
parts shown to the upper right, is the shifter assembly, and the "ball" on the bottom end of it sticks into the
ends of the shift rods and moves them (and the forks, which move the sychronizer assemblies) forward and
backward to select gears.

Hope this helps to understand the inner workings of the transmission...